I woke up with a words from a song we sang at church Sunday stuck in my head. “I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on. There will be an end to those struggles, but until that day comes – still I will praise you, still I will praise you.” For some reason, those words are life to me when I sing them.
Certain refrains from certain songs bring a smile to my face every time I sing them. The verses from “How Great Thou Art” about Jesus coming back for us would be one example, and the lines I just mentioned from “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman are obviously another one. They just capture me and make me remember – even if only for a moment – that God is bigger than all this crazy stuff we deal with every day, and one day He’s going to bring a blessed end to it all and take us home to be with Him forever.
I learned something in a quiet time last week that really helps me put words to the emotions in my life that make me love that Matt Redman song so much. I was reading in John 16 when I decided to take a closer look at verse 33: “I tell you these things so, in me you may have peace. In this world you will face many troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
If you know me, you probably know that I love to analyze things and dig deeper into the meaning of the words used in Scripture (I also try to dig deeper into the words used in my marriage sometimes – it doesn’t quite have the same effect…). I found a little gem in that word “trouble”. The original Greek used there is thlipsis – which means “Tribulation, trouble, affliction.” Then the definition goes on to say: “Thlipsis (which is very fun to try and pronounce, by the way) conveys the picture of something being crushed, pressed, or squeezed as from a great weight.” Isn’t that a great picture of how it feels to deal with life sometimes?
I don’t know about you, but I definitely at least think I feel crushed, pressed and squeezed quite a bit every now and then. The bills are stacking up and there’s no way we can pay them all [crush]. I have a million things I want to be doing, but a million and one that beg for my attention right now [press]. My kids are once again getting on the last thread of a nerve I have left and I’m at a loss as to how to deal with it [squeeze]. Some days it just doesn’t seem to let up, and then others I can see that light coming that Matt sings about. My heart just has to hold on – wait a minute! Isn’t that what Jesus said too? “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”
I look forward to the day when we no longer feel the weight and pressure of the troubles of this world. I long for the moment when the struggles will finally come to an end. But until that day comes, I will praise Him – even when the world’s grip seems to grow tighter and tighter. I’m thankful today that our God – my God – is bigger than anything I could ever face in this life, and that He never, ever, lets go of me.
If you'd like to hear Matt Redman's song "You Never Let Go", you can listen to it for free on Rhapsody. Just click here.
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